highest inflation in the history of our country. i have it down now to a normal lovell and it's going down further. thank you very much, everybody. >> c-span, democracy unfiltered. we are funded by these television companies and more, including charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers and we are just getting started. building 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those who need it most. >> charter communications supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> and now new jersey democratic senator cory booker meets with democratic activists in manchester, new hampshire. he talks about the priorities of

the democratic party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, the recent government shutdown and the trump administration's policies on the economy and immigration. this is just under two hours. >> this is exciting. like theater in the round. thank you. thank you so much. >> i want you to have it. >> i love it. i want you to put your name in it. >> she signed it. >> have you signed that?

>> yes. >> ok, good. >> i am so excited. >> thank you. thank you very much. hello, everybody. hello. very good to see you. it is so good to be here. i didn't know you have everybody all around us here. >> good to see you. >> great to see you. made it out alive. >> i did. >> tough, long week or two in washington. that combined with the new jersey elections were amazing. two things giving me hope was my state and my fiancee. >> i was reading about it. >> thank you. thank you for keeping me on --

this is being recorded. i love you, honey. where am i? oh, i get to walk around and shake hands. thank you. >> glad you're back. >> thank you. >> really happy to see you. >> come on. >> go ahead. >> sandy, you will have to have a hug. >> cindy's house and asked you about the cleanup from 2018. >> yeah. >> the only one of 50 on the list that was getting cleaned up. we signed an agreement. >> you know what new jersey and -- >> three of them on your list. thank you. you listen.

>> warm heart. good to be here. great to be here actually. thank you very much. thank you. goods to be back. >> good to see you. how are you? picture with you. it's good to see you. welcome back. >> i came up here and felt my blood coursing again. so grateful to be here. hello. >> it's been a while. >> it's been too long. >> thank you for all you are doing despite some serious challenges. >> challenges, yeah. we are going to fight and now, you guys are up. governor, senator, house, state legislature is exciting. >> we live in a district where there's eight reps and only three dems. i am hopeful we can turn it around. it will make a big difference in the statehouse. >> i believe that. i will be contributing. >> thank you.

>> hi. i am a chair of the local committee in dover. we are working really hard and we want you to keep working hard. >> i promise you, i will. i am raising my giving money but i will come up as much as i can. >> thank you. i have an adult son is and husband with alzheimer's. i am dying from -- >> the thing about this is you are not alone. there are millions of americans having special needs family members with complicated health care needs. so we should be able to create a real movement behind this in the same way we did in 2017. >> all right. we are ready. we are working for you. >> thank you. >> you are working for us. >> i am. leaving it all on the fields. >> i am a state rep. you take the best selfie. >> thank you so much. >> i have a son, third year law

school, and he is betting that he can filibuster longer than you. >> [laughter] i suspect he is right. [laughter] thank you. >> senator. i want to introduce you to the former mayor. >> we met before. good to see you. fantastic. >> majoring in political science. he put me on the mayor's youth council in high school. that was literally my start. >> that is awesome. >> love to get your picture. >> please. get in the middle. >> lucas. >> lucas put his name on the ballot at 18 and won a selectman slot. >> i thought i was bad. i literally became newark's youngest ever elected councilperson but you beat me by a decade so that's impressive. honor to meet you. i look forward to seeing more of

you. >> hey, hey. >> you're here. >> long time no see. >> i know. thank you for coming. >> of course. here we go. >> so good to see you. thank you very much. >> i can't stand. i was supposed to come tonight but i can't. i can't drive at night anymore. >> thank you for being here. >> you know you have my support. i just worry about you. >> thank you. >> can i give you a hug? >> yes, absolutely. >> my son and you share a hairdo. so i wanted to say hi. >> thank you. >> how is he doing? >> he is doing great. he interned for jeanne shaheen

last summer. >> reminds me his name. >> michael. >> can i have your phone? >> yes. >> there it is. >> there we go. michael, right? >> yes. michael, it's cory booker. i need you to know something. we have something in common. we both have moms that rock. i am wishing you all the best. keep our haircut looking good. i look forward to the next chance i have to see you. take care, man. >> thank you so much. thank you very much for being here and supporting us. >> very good to see you. >> everything you do. >> big fight coming up.

>> you know this angel in my life. >> she's the one -- >> best food i get when i come up here. >> i have to ask you to do my son is trying to run for city council, vermont. >> is he really? >> yes. >> hold on. let me get a video. remind me his name. >> vikas. >> i am so grateful you are stepping up. at this time we need new leaders, we need new energy, new vision and i know where you get your model from, this extraordinary mother of yours who is a light, and dad. so you come from an extraordinary family that gives me strength. i am sending you my strength. good luck to you. >> thank you. >> can we grab a photo of you and my mom? we will do a kick one. i know you are the king of selfies. awesome, thank you. >> thank you. >> i am lily.

>> fantastic. what year? >> senior. >> you are about to jump out. what are you going to do next? >> grad program here. public policy. >> that's amazing. do you have an area that interests you most? >> probably with people, like social justice. >> that's fantastic. do you want to get a picture? good luck to you. >> thank you. >> i teach politics here. >> what a great connection. >> i love it. i am hoping you've got another speech in you for january. >> weal see. we'll see. but thank you. what is your tradition? >> thank you. this is my wife. the three of us.

>> love to. >> you are an inspiration. >> i don't know if you remember being in my kitchen. >> yes. my gosh. i do remember. are you kidding me? it's good to see you. that's my crew. this guy is here right now. thank you for coming. i look forward to being back in that kitchen. >> ok. that's a deal. >> where do i go? >> back that way. >> ok. thank you, everybody. i got to get mic'd up. thank you for what you do. >> appreciate it. >> public education is under

attack. >> that's what my question says. >> good. let's do it. the voucher scheme they have up here -- >> my god. horrific. >> it really is. it's not about education. it's about killing public education. thank you. >> fortunately it's been -- >> thank you. thank you so, so much. >> saw you in 2019. >> i am excited for tonight. >> we will be there tonight, too. the capitals will see you at the dinner. we will be in to see you. >> good. >> hi. >> great to see you again. >> thank you. >> i am going to get mic'd up. >> nice to meet you, senator. can we get a picture? >> yes. >> i want a photo as well. >> let me get one cam ravment you -- camera. one at a time still.

but just so much quicker for me to do this. all right. thank you. thank you. >> thank you, sir. >> thank you. nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you, too. >> senator, can we get a picture? >> come on. let's do it. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. how are you all doing? thank you for being here. come on.

>> thank you. thank you, sir. >> very nice to meet you, sir. >> thank you. thank you. >> one more picture. >> of course. >> absolutely. you are quite the pro. thank you, sir. >> thank you. >> hi. nice to meet you. >> it's bo. >> connor. >> pleasure. nice to meet you as well. did somebody want to -- give me your camera. i know what i am doing. thank you. i will get mic'd up and be right back. >> thank you. >> you got it. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> how are you? >> we met last year.

>> yes. >> i wanted to introduce you to my fellow city council. >> i started as a city council person back when i had hair. >> got reelected for a third term and have a women majority. >> are you serious? >> yes. there are five of us. >> that's exciting. >> i am now the chair so i wanted to invite you to come. >> i would love to come back. i really would. thank you. thank you for all the work you are doing, as i know from being a city councilman it's -- >> it's thankless. >> particulars you takes you a half an hour to go grocery shopping. thank you. can we get a picture? >> we would love that. >> come on. >> both of us here. >> thank you. >> you mind if we redo it? >> sure. it came out bad? >> can you also record a video to my cousin?

she's about to have a baby in like a week or two. she loves you. >> it's cory. i am so excited for you. congratulations. i know you are about to have a baby which is a renewal of hope not just for you but for the world. i wish you all the best and you know this already. but this is a spectacular family member you've got who gives me so much energy so i am sending you some as well. take care now. bye-bye. >> thanks, tory. you are the best. >> you bought me so much credit because in 2019 when you visited, you did a bit of -- my daughter, history teacher and she showed it to her kids. she was the princess and i was the queen. >> six years later is she still a history teacher? >> history and ethics, high school.

>> my gosh. tell me her first name. >> kate. >> katie, it's cory booker again with your rock star mom. you know this, but i am where i am today because of my high school history teachers. they really transformed my life. they opened up my mind. more than that, they taught me ethics. they taught me honor and character and they found in our history those threads of humanity that are most important, i think, to our nation living up to its promise and possibility. so i know you are that kind of teacher. i know how fortunate your students are to have you, thank you for the american tradition. more importantly thank you for doing for your students what my great public school history teachers did for me. take care now. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> your speech tuesday night was amazing. >> thank you. >> well done. >> thank you so much.

>> thank you. take good care. >> thank you. >> how are you all doing? >> my fiancee, you made me a hero. she loved it. she loved it. again, it's one of the more moving stories i have heard on my journey. >> i brought a co-worker, this is madison. >> nice to meet you. >> come see us. >> we got to -- i will come here again -- >> three hours away from here. >> i will try to move around the state. either way you have no idea how moved alexis was and how much she loved your coffee. i need to figure out how i can start buying it. >> two years ago, the best time of my life. >> i will donate again especially if it gets me some of the best coffee in america.

>> 2019, video for my parents. it's been deeply meaningful. we have been telling our staff you are our patron saint. three hours away -- >> we have to find a twie make that happen. this is one of my favorite stories i met on the campaign trail, and the coffee that alexis hofs -- loves. one of the more moving stoferries. they are over the border in have the v. he has come to see knee d.c. and traveled for this. my political director and a very special guy. can you tell me what the numbers mean? >> my son's birthday. >> how old is he? >> 9. i have a 2-year-old daughter, quite an age gap. >> i want to do something for your kids. >> yes, please. >> what is your son's name?

>> owen. >> and? >> amelia is my daughter. >> owen, amelia, have you no idea who i am but my name is cory booker and i am so excited about you. you have a spectacularly wonderful mom and this nation needs you. you may not understand this right now, but this nation needs you. so work hard, be kind, and do everything you can to serve others, which is a value your mom extols. i wish you the best. i hope to meet you one day. all the best. >> thank you so much. >> let's make it happen. >> appreciate you. >> yeah. >> we have done recently at new jersey a town hall together. we should figure this out. he is my guy. he controls my national travel. >> can i give you my card? >> yes.

absolutely. is your cell number on here? >> it is. that's my personal cell. >> hold on. let me do this. this is what i learned how to do. get in here. >> thank you so much. lovely meeting you. >> this is from the last time when you were running for president. you got more stature now than you had then. i hope you are thinking about coming back here. >> i am thinking about it. for now i want to help with the 2026 elections. >> absolutely. >> what year was that? >> that was 2019. >> yeah. thank you. >> thank you. all right. >> nice to see you. >> welcome back. >> i am really good on the

personal side. married this month and -- >> good to see you. >> thank you. >> thank you. i know exactly where he is from. he wears it. >> the fetterman look today. chris murphy, i organized the event for murphy on wednesday. we had 90 people for lunch. chris says he was your warm-up act. >> he is my brother. murphy is such a good man. one of the champions in the senate. i am proud of him. grateful for him. grateful for you all. >> you too. >> guiding lights. >> alexis simpson. >> congratulations. >> thank you. i am very excited. >> how are you? >> we are doing a newark -- the same thanksgiving week, we will do the newark legal wedding at

the courthouse and then we will do in her home, family home, d.c., a religious ceremony there. all this month, all thanksgiving week. yeah, yeah. i am very excited. she's trying to like make sure, do not cry when i walk down the aisle. [laughter] i said the same thing. >> yes. special. >> thank you. it puts everything into perspective. >> yeah. >> yeah. thank you. thank you all. >> i am sure john told you, but the boys are really impressed and proud. star trek nights. very happy human being. >> yes. yes. we would love that. >> adopted a new dog.

>> she is dog crazy. >> any time. >> she will make one of these trips with me. >> we would love that. >> thank you. >> we are thinking about you. >> thank you. >> hello. >> hi, senator. >> how are you? >> this is my grandmother. >> hi, senator. >> you guys are not all together. >> it's ok. >> i appreciate you being here. thank you. >> so good to be back. i didn't realize how much i was missing being here. >> you've done a great job, you coming motivates the rest of us. i am a candidate. i am running for office in new hampshire. >> thank you for stepping up. >> it's people like you that give me the inspiration to do that. inspiration is infectious. >> you are good at it. >> thank you. >> my brother, i am the age of dinosaurs. my brother was a staffer for john kerry.

he was unable to be here today, but we are all just wishing the best and you going forward and looking forward to 2028. >> it will be an exciting year. thank you for being here. it's great to see you more than you know. >> thank you, senator. >> thank you. >> so nice to meet you. >> what is your name? >> martinna. >> nice to meet you. where are you from? >> maine originally. we are both in the politics program. >> i am in mass. >> all right. maine, mass, and -- >> massachusetts too. >> ok. that's fantastic. >> really great to have you here. >> what year are you all? >> juniors. >> all juniors. you are going to not be -- you will be in school for the 2026 elections. that's great. >> unbelievable the amount of opportunity the institute here in new hampshire has. >> it is. an american center for politics. it's special.

>> definitely. >> thank you all. >> thank you so much. >> hi. i am a jersey girl. >> from westfield. >> from westfield? >> i transplanted to new hampshire. >> thank you. >> thank you for all you do. love your strength and your voice. your voice is wonderful. i would love to see you run for president. >> thank you. let's gets a picture. >> wonderful. >> thank you so much. >> sorry. >> no. >> this is my good friend. she's a state rep. >> this is jackie. >> how are you? >> so good to see you. >> want to get a picture of us together. >> i don't mind at all. watch this.

>> have you the long arm. >> thank you. >> i've heard so much about you from her. >> she is an angel in my life. she really is somebody that exudes -- >> we have to rally behind you. >> thank you. every diwali i think of you. >> i wanted you add your fiancee to light it together. >> you exude light, too. you give us hope. >> have to think about our next steps, right? >> yes. yes. focus on forward. >> we have to imagine and set our path. >> yes. >> so let's do it. >> you are right.

>> hi, mr. booker. >> how are you? >> i am a student here. >> where are you from? >> boston. >> where in boston? >> dorchester, mass. >> i know dorchester. what year are you? >> a junior as well. >> great. all right. nice to meet you. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> how many senators have you met? >> i don't know. a lot. >> a lot. all of them come through here. >> senators, governors, everyone. >> a dime a dozen, senators. 50 governors, 100 senators. governors is probably the bette- >> yes. >> yes. we elected a great one in new jersey. >> i saw. >> all right. you want a picture? >> absolutely. my parents would love that. >> what are your parents' names? >> mike and karen. >> keep your card. is that your mom? >> that's my mom. >> you keep your mom on the front of your phone. >> yes. >> her name? >> karen. they love you. >> holds on.

karen, michael, i am blown away by this guy. i just met him. the fact that he has your picture on the front of his phone says a lot about who he is. i wanted you to know, my favorite quote is by james baldwin. children are never goods at listening to their elders but they never fail to imitate them. he has some great role models obviously. god bless you. i hope to meet you one day. i know you are proud. all the best. >> thank you so much. >> hold on. >> thank you. >> senator, kevin. >> great to see you. >> it's been a couple years. >> big fights up here. >> how do you feel? yeah. >> i think we will be goods. >> i hope new jersey is like a harbinger of things to come. >> yeah. it was great. >> you guys can win it for us,

help us hold the senate seat. i have endorsed him. >> good. >> how is everything going? >> engaged, getting marrieds. >> congratulations. i didn't know that. >> yeah. i am days away from my wedding. i am very excited. >> that's great. congratulations. >> i am over the moon. >> good. >> i have to ask you, she's coaching women's lacrosse in missouri right now. so one of her coaches is one of the only african-american d-1 coaches in the country. >> what is the name? >> coach smith. >> hold on. >> hey, riley, hello. i am with your dad. you know that, but i just want to leave a message for coach smith. you are a trailblazer, a glass ceiling breaker, a trendsetter.

i am hearing such good things about you but thank you for being who you are. i know the road is not easy but you are a light to so many of us. i wish you all the best out there. thank you for my great coaches were not people that just helped us win games but they built character in the men and women they were coaching. i know that's the leadership that you provide. thank you for what you are doing. i wish you the best. hope to meet you one day. bye-bye now. >> that is great. let's update our picture. >> great. >> great seeing you. >> i would love to -- >> love to learn about that. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> today is her birthday. could you do a quick video? i want to send it to her. >> emmy, happy birthday. i would sing but there are too many people around and that might be cruel and unusual punishments. i wish you all the best. thank you for being who you are.

i have benefited from your light and i know that you will shine brighter with each new year. all the best. bye-bye. >> thanks so much. >> thank you. >> could i ask for a photo? >> sure. i would love that. are you kidding me? >> thank you for coming. this is fantastic. >> so good to be here. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> hello. i want to say i appreciate all of the work that you have done so far. >> thank you very much. what is your name? >> david. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you, senator. >> where are you from? >> amherst, new hampshire. >> my brother wentz to ham hearst college. >> it's a beautiful place. >> gorgeous. cold in the winter. >> it's very hot in the summer. >> ok. sounds like jersey. nice to meet you. >> congratulations on getting married. >> thank you.

>> it changed the whole dynamic of the. >> thank you. what is your name? >> dave. >> pleasure to meet you. >> senator. >> are you recovering? >> yes, pretty good. >> thank you for coming. >> great to have you. >> i am exielted about -- excited about this 2026 race. you guys can tie the senate. >> very -- >> we need him. >> he is a special person. yes. even though i have never eaten his chicken fingers. >> the back room. >> exactly. >> thank you. thank you. nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. >> thank you for being here and showing off the haircut.

>> absolutely. >> wanted to say your filibuster gave me so much hope. >> thank you. we give each other hope so thank you for being here. may i? who is this? >> that's my best friend. >> what is her name? >> nancy. can you share this with nancy? hey, nancy, i grabbed a phone to take a picture with someone i know and i saw your picture and i learned how special you are and how enduring and special this friendship is. thank you for that more than ever. we need connection, human connection, love, friendsship in our country. wish you all the best. hope to meet you one day. take care now. let me get this for you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> so nice to meet you. >> you too. >> thank you for coming today. >> thank you. >> we are so glad to have you. >> student ambassador. >> yes. >> what year?

>> senior this year. the last year. >> what are you going to do? >> hoping to work in political communications. >> where is my comms director? her aspiration is to work -- >> nice to meet you. >> take my picture. talk to him. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> we need some good political people in your field. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. why do you look familiar? >> i took a senate youth program. maybe you saw me there. i am also a state representative. >> my gosh. dude, i am so proud of you. >> thank you. i wanted to say even as a republican i appreciate everything you do to increase civic engagements. >> thank you. you are an american. i am an american. give me a hug. that's awesome. i am proud of you man. >> i appreciate it. >> i look forward to watching your journey. >> i appreciate it.

may i get a photo? >> i would be honored. are you kidding me? >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> very nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. can i get a picture? >> yes. let's do it. is this your bodyguard? >> thank you. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> nice to meet you. >> thank you, senator. >> my girlfriend couldn't be here but she's a fan. >> what is her name? >> brooke. she's at a mock trial in rhode island right now. >> brooke, it's cory booker. i know you are out there mocking people, your mock trial. i want you to know i am really impressed with this young man and i hope to meet you too because i have a feeling he is the luckier one in this couple but i wish you all the best. take care now. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> senator, can i get a quick video for my friend?

she's in boston. she really wished she could have been here but she couldn't make it. >> mia you have a special friends here. i know you are in boston but i am looking forward to hopefully our paths will cross soon. take care now. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> i don't mean to hop on the video trend, my roommate is from new jersey. >> no. they can vote for me. >> yes. this could be a message for them. >> nick? >> yes. >> nick, jersey boy, what's up? i am repping jersey in new hampshire and i wish you all the best. sounds like you have a great roommate here. i hope to meet you one day in new jersey or back home. all the best. >> thank you. >> nice to meet you too. >> senator, pleasure to meet you. >> what is your name. >> sofia. >> i was wondering if i could get a voa -- photo with you. >> i would love that. come on.

>> crashing your shot. >> that's your dad. >> great to meet you. >> sophia's dad. how did you pick that? >> i don't know. >> all right. get a family picture. come on. don't make them have to crash it. give them a respectsable one. >> that's awesome. >> thank you so much. >> my uncle richard would love to be here. >> tell me more about him. >> he was a democratic staffer for john kerry back in the day. >> state rep. >> and my brother-in-law was a state rep. my brother knows everything about you. he was so disappointed that he wants make it. >> jerry and richard? or just jerry. >> this is jerry. >> richard, ok. >> this is tyler. >> i got it. >> richard, first of all, what an extraordinary family you have. i wish you the best. i love what you did for kerry.

i've got a chance to know the man from his climate work to his work as secretary of state. i have learned a lot from him but more importantly, i am grateful for all that you've done for our nation, for our party and for the future. i wish you all the best. take care now. >> that's great. thank you so much, senator. best of everything. >> going to follow you closely. >> get in the middle. got to center the right person. >> awesome. thank you. >> thank you. >> pleasure to meet you. >> i am vic. i am from manchester, new hampshire. not eng lands. commuter -- computer science, business major. i was wondering if we could get a picture. >> who is that? >> on line inspiration. >> what do you want to do sm after college? >> i did an internship for amazon over the summer but i want to do something in computer

science and business. i am also interested in politics because in my senior year of high school i interviewed the candidates. i am trying to see if there is something i can do, like internships to get experience in all the fields. >> the great thing about being a sophomore is it's all about knowing the fullness of the fields of opportunities and the more you know, the more informed your choices will be. i am glad you have a wide breadth of things that interest you. >> of course. do you have a business card? >> stay in touch. >> thank you so much. >> you want me to go to the stage? >> slowly make your way there. we want to be up there around 3:15. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> head in that direction. >> senator, a pleasure. >> i was here earlier. >> that's why i recognize your

face. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> senator, how are you, sir? >> very good. how are you? >> my name is chris, you came to the hampton democratic picnic in 2019. >> i remember that. >> it is still the highest grossing picnic. >> really? >> we need you to come back. >> i hope to do that. that's fantastic. >> this is my wife, melanie. >> good to see you. thank you. i love that i was there. >> it was great. >> can we get a picture of the three of us? >> sure. >> let me do it. >> i know you are really good at that. >> come on. >> so are we going to be seeing a lot of you before january of 2028? >> i am up in 2026, new jersey, that's my principal focus. i haven't written anything off. >> good answer. >> thank you. >> my dear friend's mom, her

best friend went to law school with you, but a few years back she passed away from chronic illnesses and mar goa has been such a big fan of you championing for disability rights because her daughter is disabled. i was wondering if you could send her a video to encourage her. for margot. >> hey, margot, it sounds like we have a lot of connections between us. i wants to thank you for being a champion for people, for being a champion for humanity and decency and love. clearly those are the values that center you in the work you do. i am deeply grateful. one of our points of connection is right here with me. all the best to you. thank you for who you are. >> thank you, senator. >> yesterday we played jeopardy and there was a question that was like political quotes. guess who said this. the question was there are two

men, ben and jerry. >> yes. >> we got it right. >> you guys rock. i hope you won. >> thank you soap -- so much. >> a picture with the students. >> yes. fellows, you all get around me. >> here we go. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> my grandparents get psyched when politicians come to new england. >> what are their first names? >> joan and vinny. >> joan and vinny? i send you love and gratitude. your grandson here, i had -- i know the power of that kind of love. it's evident in this man because he asked me to send you a video. i wish you all the best. i hope i have the privilege of meeting you one day. thanks for helping to raise a

guy who is committed to helping our country. >> thank you, senator. >> good luck to you. >> can we get a quick video for paul and joanne in mass? >> who are they to you? >> my parents. >> it's cory booker. i am grateful for you. thank you for raising this young man who is commitsed to country, committed to others and service. his presence here today and a little bit of conversation we have had have shown me you have raised a patriot. thank you for what you do every day. i wish you all the best. >> thank you so much, senator. >> thank you very much. >> nice to meet you. can i get a picture with you? >> yeah. >> i don't like to -- >> senator, thanks for doing this. >> i am psyched to be here. >> do you want to tell us a little bit about why you are in new hampshire today?

>> martin luther king said we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. those are lofty spiritual words but they are practically true in america. what happens in new hampshire in your senate race is directly impacting what i do as new jersey's senator because we have fallen, for example, one vote short of permanently cutting child poverty in half when we were one vote shy of getting the child tax credit. so your elections up here are vital to me. when your party chairman whose birthday is today, happy birthday, when your party chairman calls me up and says could you anchor our state party dinner, help us raise money, i want do that work. i crisscross this country as much as i can away from my new jersey duties to help people. that's why i am here. >> first question, an easy one. no name on this one but someone wants to know should new hampshire continue to have the first in the nation primary?

>> so i started my career at 28 with a beautiful afro, by the way. i miss it so much. i started my career knocking on doors in newark, new jersey, where i still live today. there is such an incredible power in that direct connection. i've gone across this country and campaigned in a lot of states, but you all have created a very special tradition here that really is about connecting to people individually. i want that tradition to continue. i think you all should be the first primary in the nation. >> we have a question from talia who says that she supported you in 2020 and has two questions. one, do you have any idea just how many granite state hearts were broken when you ended your

campaign and two, do you think the d.n.c. is running fair and open primaries? >> wow. so where is talia? there you are. first of all, i got to hug you. thank you. thank you. talia, i am very worried about democracy right now, and as much as what donald trump is doing is torching our constitution, not respecting separation of powers, threatening judges, the third branch of government, as much as congressional republicans are failing to even call hearings on extrajudicial bombings of boats in the ocean or putting people before the senate who texted out battle plans like our secretary

of defense and others, they're not performing their role of checks and balances. i am also concerned about our democracy fori am also concernet democracy for democrats. we need to start calling out our own party and telling the truth that our party is not getting it right. i have seen it in my own state where we try to create fair primaries by putting the people back in focus and not the party leaders. i will tell you right now, i think this next election in 2026, i want to see more democratic candidates. it is so easy to talk about the other side of the aisle. but start having candidates saying what democrats should be doing right now to protect our democracy. i will give you one example. i think we as a nation tolerate too much corruption. period. why are senators in both parties trading stocks? we have so much access to information. we should have a public that

knows you are not trying to get corporate profits, but you are standing up for the people. but we have not ended that. i want to see more courageous people in both parties standing up and calling balls and strikes within their own party. [applause] kelly: this one also came without a name, but someone says, i live in a predominantly republican town. if i am looking to flip representation to blue, should i try to find common ground or take the gloves off and call them out for their shortcomings? sen. booker: [laughter] so i don't want to tell anybody what to do. you need to follow your heart and what you think is best. i will tell you a lesson i learned back in 1998 when i first started. i would knock on doors, and my staff would see me knocking on doors, convincing someone to vote for me.

nine doors, and i find the tennis door where someone does not like me. my ego back then, i will stand there and convince this person. like me. like me. i would spend 20 minutes trying to convince them to vote for me. i would leave and my staff jumped on me saying in those 30 minutes you could have hit another eight doors. i want to let you know, think about your energy and time and what best get you to your goal and how you will invest it. when you meet someone that disagrees with you, let me tell you for all of those looking for inner peace, one of the best pieces of and -- of advice i have ever gotten is you do not have to attend every argument you are invited to. [applause] kelly: paul in atkinson once to know, how do we increase school budget in an environment where affordability and lowering taxes is a priority? sen. booker: where is paul?

paul, i will not hug you. you seem very defensive there. i will not salty without permission or invitation. i think we are in a public education crisis in america. i think we are dissing vesting in public education -- disinvesting in public education and have an anemic vision of what public education is about. textbooks are vital for education. but so is a school lunch. and the fact that we do not fund them universally as absurd. [applause] sen. booker: public education should start a lot earlier before can the garden and nursery school because brain development, most of it happens, 80% to 90%, before you are five years old. we have to not keep choking up public education but understand it is a public good. more investment means more return. we are in a global

knowledge-based society now. the more you learn, the more you earn. and we are now being outpaced by other countries that are trying to out america us when we use to fund our schools. one direct answer to your question about taxes and teachers and drawing more people to the profession. i am very proud of this, a bill i have that i hope one day when the democrats get back in control we can pass it. we can give wall street executives a tax break called carried interest. they pay less taxes than their secretaries. let's create a nation where we say if you are willing to be a public school professional from a teacher to a counselor, that you pay the same tax rate wealthy wall street people do. that will give every public school teacher thousands of dollars in their pocket to help attract more people to the profession. here is something i know about public school teachers.

that money will not stay in their pocket or go to their family. the most generous people i know who especially right now that we are underfunding food programs, underfunding the basic needs that families are having trouble meeting is public school teachers. every single day, tens of thousands of dollars are coming out of the pockets of public school teachers to buy things for their students that should be basic needs. if we give public teachers, public school teachers a boost in salary, i promise you all of america will reap the returns. [applause] kelly: mark boyd is asking if president trump would have to step down as president, do you think vice president vance would govern any differently? [laughter] sen. booker: i think it was the great maya angelou that says if someone tells you who they are, believe them.

jd vance has told us who he is time and time again. when donald trump needs someone to double down, whether it is defending him on the epstein files or his failure to condemn the kind of bigotry that we see in these group chats that were exposed, he is showing and telling america "i am a donald trump acolyte." now let's be real because i have seen this amongst a lot of my republican colleagues. during the 2016 primaries, a lot of my colleagues from ted cruz to lindsey graham, know them both, work with them both when we can, and vice president jd vance told the truth about donald trump. go look up jd vance's truth telling about who donald trump was. but suddenly when he wanted to get elected to the united states -- to be united states senator,

he ran to mar-a-lago and contorted himself. he had somehow seen a conversion moment where he became donald trump's biggest supporter. i have an incredible fiance who has done yoga with me before. let me tell you, the way republicans are contorting themselves to do whatever donald trump does is an advanced form of yoga that i will never, ever do. [laughter] [applause] kelly: sandy from nashua asks, will affordable care act tax credit to be agreed upon soon? sen. booker: where is sandy? sandy. >> i have a pre-existing condition as of a year ago. i was diagnosed with cancer. so a pre-existing condition. sen. booker: sandy, that is terrifying.

i can only imagine what you and your family are dealing with with the cancer diagnosis. first and foremost, i am praying for you. i have seen a lot of people fight through those things. my family has had those experiences so i am wishing you blessings in the fight that is coming up. this is a moment in america, a definitional moment. who are we going to be? most americans cannot afford the health care they have. most americans are one diagnosis with all of the co-pays and premium payments. they are in a situation where they can lose everything. and the barbarism that we live in a nation where people are making horrific decisions. i have talked to so many couples in new jersey where they are trying to debate, what is the best way forward? do both of us give up our health insurance so our kids with special needs can keep it?

or i will give up health insurance you can afford it. i sat in a town hall with new jerseyians and had to hold my own emotions as three women there talked about their breast cancer diagnoses. young women who had their lives turned upside down with bills they never imagined would come their way. now with the end of the premiums, they were going to lose their health insurance, which often would mean they would not be able to access the doctors that happen helping them with that diagnosis. this is not who we are as a country. i don't care. this is not a partisanship. republicans, independents, democrats, they all say the same thing. this is not who we are. i have drawn the battle line. this is why i did not support the bill that we just put through the senate. it is why i fought against the big beautiful bill that gutted medicaid. i have drawn this battle line and will stand and fight because

stories like yours live in my heart, seared in my heart because i think this is more than health care. it is about the story of who we are as a nation. at the end of our declaration of independence, you should test everybody that claims to be a leader in our country, are they living up to this? it says we must mutually pledge to each other our lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. where is the honor in letting people go without health care and face life's challenges and see their whole family descend into bankruptcy and worse? we should be a nation, the most powerful country in the world. we assure people that through quality health care for everyone, we can truly have a nation of life, liberty, and happiness. [applause] kelly: we have a related question. someone wants to know, what do you think needs to change to

strengthen the aca? sen. booker: well, i want to start to say as much as i support the affordable care act, there were a lot a band-aid on a broken system that did not fix the system as a whole. it expanded health care for millions of americans, but it is still broken. so this is what is really bothersome to me. the republicans are taking something that was patchwork at best and saying they are going to break it even further. but let's just start having a real conversation in america, saying our health care system is screwed up. you see this with corporate ceos for insurance companies making so much, astronomical figures when insurance started a century ago as a nonprofit endeavor. and now they are telling their shareholders we will hold back more and more money for shareholder profits and put less of the dollars we have in. and people paying their insurance, if we can get that

from 70% of our dollars going back to people to maybe 65%, this is absurd. so my goal right now given the political environment we are in is to stop it from getting worse and figure out where we can gain ground. it might have to be incremental. maybe we need to say, ok, medicaid, if we move the starting time for medicaid down five years or maybe at 58 you can start qualifying, 57, 56. but we have to understand that this speaks to unfinished business. it starts with the presumption we are the only wealthy nation of our status that puts people in a crazy reality. i wonder if i should have to call an ambulance or not because i will have to pay for it. there is going to have to come a point that i will try to force to ask the question, what kind of nation will we be? we clearly have the money and

the system because we pay as americans more for health care than any other country, and we have the worst outcomes of wealthy countries. it is absurd. so i will tell you this right now. right now, the fight is clear. you have the republican party that has put themselves on the side of wanting to gut your health, to give tax cuts to the wealthiest. it is clear through the bills they have passed. and then we have leaders, and god, we need new leaders in this country that will step up and say, wait a minute, this whole system is broken, and let's start offering true solutions to remove 30%, 40% of my 50% of americans out of this constant anxiety and -- 40%, 50% of americans out of this constant anxiety and fear that one bad diagnosis can hurt my family. [applause] kelly: another one without a

name, but someone is asking, what are your feelings about your fellow democratic senators voting in favor of the spending bill recently passed? is a change in leadership needed? sen. booker: so i disagree with their decision. but i am a football player. and football -- some of you don't know this. i got a lot of college students here. i got in the college because 4.0, 1600, four yards per carry, 1600 receiving yards. it helps me be an all american football player in high school. some of my best lessons in life were forged on the football field. so i could always tell you when we were going to score a touchdown. i was a wide receiver and tight end. i could always tell you. i would tell my friends in the huddle we are going to score. why? i would look at the other huddle and they would be arguing amongst themselves. they would be demeaning somebody who missed a tackle or made a mistake. and i knew that division. we were going to exploit it. i would be in the end zone or

one of my colleagues, teammates would be in the end zone. i also learned as a guy who the older i get, the better i was at football by the way, so i never dropped a pass. but i will tell you i also learned that when you make a big mistake on a play, get back in the huddle, tighten your chinstrap because we have work to do with the people that are fighting us. so that play is done. i am not happy about it. i think we lost yardage. and the kind of large yardage we lost is not a game. it is health care. but that play is over. i need everyone. i need everyone. no matter how you voted. we need to get back in the huddle because the stakes are so high, and we need to in a time when the opposition is trying to take away health care, raise your grocery costs.

they are trying to attack feeding programs like school lunches, meals on wheels. we have work to do. get in the huddle and get ready for the next play. [applause] kelly: this one says, what do you say to those who feel like the democratic party turned their back on the working class and are on the side of billionaires? sen. booker: i would say i feel the same way. and i'm serious. it is hard to say the democratic party paints with a broad brush. i am literally sitting in a circle around democratic leaders in this state that are not that. god, 2019, i fell in love with new hampshire. my second favorite new state after new jersey. so let's not paint a broad brush. the democratic party as a whole is city council people. it is mayors of small towns that do not get a salary but sacrifice every day for their communities. the democratic party is a state rep.

i hear you have a few of them in new hampshire that again do not do it for the money. so i just want to talk about those people for a second because when i meet those folks who get up every single day, they have their own kids but they go out and fight for other people's children, who some of them are 60, 70 years old. as long as i have breath in my body and blood in my veins, i will fight for america. those people are the bulk of who the democratic party is. but now i am in the senate. and i am angry that again we as a nation tolerate too much corruption. i years ago in the fourth senator who said i am not taking corporate pact money because i think it is inherently corrupting with the health care industry -- why is our health care so screwed up?

i thought it was the oil industry or the defense industry, but i just looked at some data that said the number one industry that pours money into washington to affect our health care is the health care industry and the pharma industry. so when they are spending hundreds of millions of dollars, i think they are probably getting a return on that. and if we have a political system that says when i am up for reelection, put out my bag, i am sorry. if i am a voter, democrat or republican, who are you fighting for? so, yes. i think one of the big tasks of americans, not democrats or republicans, is to end the corruption in our system. politicians should not take corporate pack money. they should not be allowed to trade stocks. they should not, hello, donald

trump, be able to create meme coins. we need to understand as i learn ed that if you put new wine in old skins as they say, it gets spoiled. that system has to improve if we want better results as a democracy. so yes, i agree with people who say that there is too much corruption in american politics except for one thing, which is i will end how i started. do not surrender to cynicism. there are so many good people out there. and i believe not enough of them are standing up. the only thing necessary for people to be triumphant is for good people to do nothing. we need more people that will stand and fight against corruption and for good policy. [applause] kelly: marie in manchester wants

to know, how do you level the playing field in primaries so it is the candidate and not how much money they raised that determines the winner? sen. booker: what is the person's name? kelly: marie. sen. booker: where is marie? is this the row, the hot row here? marie, thank you very much. i am being very candid here. i am glad to be up here working for candidates, but like when i travel to other states, one of the big things candidates ask me for his money. i spent a lot of time, even though i don't take corporate money, i asked people for contributions so i can help the democratic party in new jersey, democratic party in new hampshire, and i am one of the better fundraisers in our party, but i don't want us to have a system where our leaders have to spend so much time raising money. i love what martin luther king said. it is not the color of your skin. it is the content of your

character. i want us to have a system that selects the best character and qualifications to do a job, not who is better at raising money. one of the worst things to happen to our country, one of the most corrupting things that has happened in america is citizens united. [applause] sen. booker: now, i will tell you that two parties have said things about citizens united. one has fought to preserve it, and one when nancy pelosi was head of the house, the first bill they put up was to end citizens united and create more fair campaign financing. it was in its ordinary piece of legislation and it got -- it was an extraordinary piece of legislation, and it got blocked by republicans. we have to check ourselves. i hope that in the next two election cycles the democrats in new hampshire get the governor seed, the state senate, the

statehouse, and that we in washington can get back control. i hope americans when they give us that opportunity stand back and say put up or shut up. i will be one of those people arguing loudest that we end citizens united, bring about more sound campaign-finance rules, and end the corruption i have talked about already. [applause] kelly: someone wants to know, how can democrats address the toxicity that comes with a d next to a candidate's name and much of rural america -- in much of rural america? sen. booker: go out and talk to people in rural america. it is hard to hate up close. so pull people in. i think the democratic party has one thing to atone for, which is losing working people. so whether it is people in rural areas or people in my own city of newark who say i work harder

than my parents and make less money than they did. i had a dream of owning a home that is out of reach. i have had five generations that have had this farm, and i am about to lose my farm. i don't care if you are democrat or republican. what are you going to do to address the problem that the dream of america is in crisis for the majority of americans? more than 50% of americans are living in constant economic anxiety. so let's forget or -- forget left or right. i want generational leaders to step up and talk the truth because we are a nation we have common pain but we have lost our common sense of purpose. it is a right or wrong problem, not a right or left problem. what country are we going to be? i am one of the voices of the

democratic party. it is time for a democratic party renewal. it is time for a new generation. i revere the greatest generation. when i meet people from my grandfather's generation who had victory gardens and bought more bonds or who served, i feel the sense of reverence and gratitude that i cannot even fully express. i want to tell you baby boomers, a lot of whom are in the room, your generation, what a record you guys had.you are the civil rights generation. you are the generation that won roe v. wade. you fought for that. that was not some supreme court decree. there are some people in this room that were marching when i was in a crib and fighting for a lot of the advances that we have now. what is the epitaph of my generation going to be? x or millennials who are coming up or gen z. our story is not written because the american stage is waiting for you. what will be your great story?

what impossible things army going to do? yes, they have already gone to the moon. they have beaten the nazis. but what are we going to do? i am tired of people thinking that we can't. we are americans, not ameri-can'ts. that is the only dad joke i get today permit i'm sorry for getting it is one of the darkest moments i have seen in my lifetime, but it is actually one of my most hopeful moments because hope is not some shiny thing that looks good. hope is wounded. hope is scarred. hope has gone out there and beaten down but resurrects itself. hope is the active conviction that despair will not have the last word. i want ours to be the generation of hope again. it renews the hope of america and the very idea that redeems the dream. and so this is the time for us. x's, gen z, millennials to stand

up and say, "i got this." we will create a health-care system that works for all americans. we will end the corporate monopolization that is going on and driving farmers out of their jobs. we will create a campaign-finance system that selects for the best of those, not for those that have the most rich friends. we will create a country where people can buy homes again. don't tell me it is impossible. i will tell you that american history is a perpetual testimony to the achievement of the impossible -- of impossible things against impossible odds. you want to know the epitaph of my generation i want? just that. there were doubters and naysayers in our nation and across the world, but our nation stood up, grab that baton, and showed our nation will lead humanity and show our way of life can produce the best possible results for all. [applause]

kelly: somebody wants to know, do you think the country is prepared for a large-scale war with countries like russia or china? sen. booker: i mean, prepared, i believe we are. but i am of the generation that has seen us go to wars that we should not have gone to. you all know this. bill clinton was the last president to balance the u.s. budget. then bush comes in and takes trillions of our dollars, trillions of our dollars, and goes to war in iraq. and then he compounds that. i mean, you want to talk about fiscal nightmare. i am going to ratchet up u.s. spending by trillions of dollars in a war we should not have gone into, and i will give you tax cuts. first generation in american

history to go to war and not ask for the common sacrifice. they put it all on about a percent of our population. the rest of us got more money. i should not say the rest of us. especially the wealthy people. god love them. i mean, we are suffering for that now. our children's children will pay for that through our deficits. so, no. we should not be going to war with china or russia. we should have diplomacy. and i am telling you right now the worst diplomat i have ever seen is the guy we have in the white house right now who is alienating our allies, bombing nations, already blowing up speedboats. the is the most reckless, dangerous. don't take my word for it. remover how many former national security and national defense people from both parties warned us he is an existential threat

to the safety and security of america and the world. kelly: somebody wants to know, how do you balance advocacy for economic and social justice? sen. booker: well, i mean, i come from parents who are civil rights activists. most people forget the march on washington, when you look at their pillars, most of them were economic. i mean, one of the best things you can do for social justice is have jobs with dignity. my grandparents and parents lived in a nation where the black and white wealth gap is closing. my generation, again, what is our story going to be? the black and white wealth gap is growing again. i want the democratic party to get back to that. maslow's pyramid, the bottom of

that pyramid is a fundamental needs that every american family wants, whether you are black, white, gay or straight -- gay, or straight. there is something we need to deliver on. that is safety. if i am a family, the first thing i want is the safety of my family and the economic prosperity and prospects for my family. those two things are not there right now. i know there are public school teachers here. thank you. let me talk to you about safety. the number one pillar of our children -- killer of our children is nonviolence. so now in your schools if you are like new jersey, you have more active shooter drills than fire drills. with the subtle implication to our children, what we are teaching to our children is the most powerful nation in the world, we cannot protect you so we will teach you how to hide. number one killer of our children is nonviolence, and our

response -- gun violence, and our response is to teach you how to hide. i have talked to so many parents who fear for the safety of their children. when they look at what is killing children these days, two things, lack of access to health care and gun violence. what is our country doing right now? nothing on those things. in fact, we are going the other way. we are doing more to undercut the health and well-being of our children from our broken food system to the lack of prenatal care. that is the safety part. an economic well-being, we know. so i feel you. there is nobody that has a better record in the senate, maybe dick durbin, providing social justice issues. i passed a bill under donald trump because of our broken criminal justice reform. the first thing a family wants to hear from a leader is, i will stand up and fight to make sure your family is safe and your

family has what my family had in my grandfather's generation, my father's generation, which is a pathway to asperity. i promise you as a black guy from new jersey, i promise you that we will make sure our social justice issues fall into place. [applause] kelly: another question without a name for this person asks, how do you think your party could be more assertive in defending its values and community getting a clear vision for working families that communicating a clear vision for working families -- communicating a clear vision for working families? sen. booker: i want my party to be for working people. my grandfather from mississippi and my grandmother moved to detroit. my grandfather got a job on the assembly line during world war ii building bombers. they were buying more bonds.

they had a pathway to the middle class. they were the jeffersons. they moved on up to a deluxe apartment. they were entrepreneurs. they opened up a laundry mat a pool hall. statute of limitations is gone so i can confess everybody here, the story is they ran numbers too. but ok, before the lottery was legit and the government was taking its peace. they fought to move the democratic party, black people from the republican party to the democratic party. blacks were republicans back then. the old saying was turned lincoln's picture to the wall. my grandfather said, i was a democrat because they were for working people. they were for social security. they were for health care. they were for unions. and the party then held a dominance in american politics that inarguably brought things that both democrats and republicans now say is gospel. if you are republican, you are

my brother and sister, my fellow american first. just know that your workers's rights, your five-day workweek, all of that came from the democratic party and the union leaders. if you are a republican and are one of those republicans that got donald trump to say "i will not cut medicare," lies, but ok. know that we have medicare and medicaid because of the democratic party. if you are an american that loves public schools, we have public schools that are vibrant and thriving and strong because of the democratic party. i can go through all the things we now take for granted that were from my grandfather's generation, to the time i was born, games that were made, including reproductive rights, being able to control your own body, including being able to marry who you love. the democratic party brought us all those things. but as the question set before, i think we have -- said before,

i think we have lost our way a little bit and need to get back to that. that is the issues of economic justice. but our party also has to show, and the first part of your question, character. i was taught in new politics by extraordinary people. some of those are democrats that maligned the democratic party, the tenant leaders, and projects. diehard democrats. some of these elders of mine taught me a very simple truth. you cannot lead the people if you do not love the people. we have a president right now who models cruelty and a crassness and a vileness unapologetically. if you want a nation that gets back to the values and virtues that our founders wrestled with, these imperfect geniuses. i have a book coming out in a

few months about the 10 virtues that made america and that we are losing and need to double down on now if we want to save america. i want our country to get back to the fund mental idea of we must love one another. that your suffering of your family affects my family. that when you're a kid does not have access to a great public school, my kid is affected by that. when your kid is struggling with type one diabetes and cannot afford insulin and things, my family is lessened by that. how is our nation -- that is love. the ideas we pledge allegiance to. liberty and justice for all. why have we allowed ourselves to lose so much of this idea that we need to put more indivisible back into this one nation under

god. so i want character to get back to politics and shame and politics that when a politician does horrific things, they don't double down and never apologize but they do things that are courageous and step up and say, i was wrong, i made a mistake, or i apologize. that is not a monopoly on either party. i saw it in john mccain when he pulled the microphone away from a woman who was calling barack obama filenames -- vile names. i saw it on the floor with mitt romney, who had the courage to stand up and call out his own party. i want to be a leader that helps the democratic party get back on track, focusing on safety and prosperity. but i also want to be a leader that tries, as imperfect as i am, tomato, to be the change --

two model, to be the chain -- to model, to be the change i want to see. i believe like john lewis taught me that the goal should be to create a more beloved community. [applause] kelly: we got just a couple more here. and this is a tone shift. someone wants to know what shoes you wore during the 25 hour filibuster. [laughter] sen. booker: i try to be very thoughtful. as a senator, we have good salaries. i try to then having that privilege be thoughtful with the clothes i wear, where they are made, their environmental impact. but i have to say i looked for the most comfortable shoes in my positive. they did not get me through. i will be honest with you.

the body has limits but the spirit has none. what lifted me in that 25 hours were the letters from americans that i read who had the courage to be vulnerable and write me letters about some of the most painful realities, like some of you have done in some of the questions you asked. one of the virtues in my book is vulnerability and the power of god. so i wanted to stand for as long as i humanly could and try to center that strength, which is how vulnerable we all are right now. and what happened around the 20th hour when my legs were cramping up and my body was telling me it is reaching its limits is i was soaring. i want to tell you right now my chief of staff and i were arguing on paper back and forth. you broke the record. you should wind this down. i am i could go for another five

hours -- i am like, i could go for another five hours because of the energy i got from so many people tuning in and filling the galleries. but the last thing i want to make a point to is you want to know who her robe people stand up for that heroic -- heroic people stand up for. it is not a senator that stands up for 25 hours. it is the person who picks up a third shift at the diner because their family -- they don't know if their family can eat. it is the person in a hospital doing jobs that we don't afford enough dignity to that pole 24 hour shifts -- pull 24 hour shifts. some of the firefighters i met who jump out of planes hide the lines of a fire and pull 18 hour shifts facing infernos so that they could save a family's home.

i stood for 24 and a half hours on the senate floor. i am so happy my mom got to see me break a ranting racist's record. [laughter] sen. booker: but that they come i did not stand for myself or some senate record -- but that day, i did nothing for myself or some senate record. i sit for those in america his head, who in washington will stand for me? -- i stood for those who say, who in washington will stand for me? kelly: i am curious if your party has a winning message on crime heading into 2026? sen. booker: i think we got screwed up. it was not the majority of our party because the majority of our party is like people in this room holding or running for elected offices.

some voices in our party at exactly the wrong time used slogans that the republican party weaponized. i am the only united states senator, i think, that lives in a low income community in a black and brown neighborhood. newark is a majority black city. if you add latinos to that, an extraordinary part of our city, it is about 80%, 85%. if you polled newark after george floyd and said, hey, do you want less police, same amount of police, or more police? 90% would have said give me more police but i don't want them violating my civil rights. but i want accountable police officers who do the job of fighting crime. how could we coming out of that not have a conversation on, how do we create higher professional standards, more transparency and accountability?

but we want to fund police better. because let me tell you something, public school teachers who are being asked to do things you have never been asked to do before, cops are being asked to do things they should not have to do. i can show you evidence-based programs that saved taxpayer money like having mental health responders go out and deal with some of these crises. [applause] sen. booker: so count me in as a guy that watched as a former mayor and i got upset with some of these mayors going around saying i will not enforce certain crimes. i am sorry. i want to de-schedule marijuana but some of these people may have been high when saying it. the reality is everybody want a safe community. everybody wants a safe community. i have been so much work on homelessness issues. the way to deal with issues of homelessness is to create a horrible housing, create a

better mental health care system, create a system that helps people saddled with addiction. but to tolerate people who are doing what is their only option because of our failures, sleeping in communities and making people feel unsafe. i am a pragmatist. i am a mayor. i am not left or right. let me give you a very good example of what i'm talking about. i found this housing group i fell in love with when i was a mayor. i sent, forget left or right. there is no public and or democratic way to fix a pothole. you just fix it. i said there is not a problem we have in newark that somebody somewhere has not figure out how to solve. i said let me find the best ideas and bring them to my city. it was one of our strategies for success. and i found, god bless them, this extraordinary organization called the plymouth housing group in seattle, washington, that provided supportive housing. for all of us housing nerds that

know a lot about housing, supportive housing is very expensive. it is somebody with drugs that you are getting them counseling, making sure they are taking whatever medication they need, and the like. they decided, like me, in god we trust, but everyone bring me data. what is more expensive in seattle, to leave homeless people on the streets where they can end up being a nuisance and a challenge not just to themselves, a danger to themselves, but other people, or putting them in much more expensive supportive housing? in the 2000, 3000 people they studied, they found her it was so much more expensive for taxpayers to leave homeless people on the streets than in supportive housing. why? a lot of people here know this. people that end up on the streets usually end up in one of two places, hospital rooms or jails. which is the most expensive way to try to treat problems.

so dear god, i wish we could declare a year that i am not trying to be a king like donald trump wants, but for a year you cannot tell me what party you are in. and you cannot talk about somebody else. you just have to say what you stand for. and let's make pragmatism rule. and let's create a metric which is not the best metric. i am a spiritual guy. i think the best metric for happiness is community, connection, how many friends you have, all of that. let's be one of those fiscally conservative people. and we are going to make only policy decisions that have a return for american taxpayers. let's make that for a year that you guys give me a chance to lead and just say that is the metric. i say this because i met one pastor in this room. where is that pastor? he was here earlier.

a pastor right here. i am sorry to call you out if you did not want attention. we are spiritual people. my whole life is oriented around matthew 25. that is what moves me. but let's be fiscally conservative, you and i and the rest of everybody here. so let's as a country say we will only do the things that return benefits to us. we would not have a homeless problem. the homeless problem we have in america costs us more money. plymouth one example of it. but we would not stop there. oh, no. we would not have the maternal mortality rate that is the highest among developing nations. because when you deny people prenatal care, the outcome is horrible. they end up in the nicu and cost more money.

let's just tax stupid first. you know what is stupid? what donald trump is doing to the nih. the best taxpayer dollar we have is investing in medical research. the returns we get. [applause] sen. booker: and this is a president that is gutting and cutting research. because harvard's political science department or women's studies offended him, he is cutting harvard's science department. stupid. when most of the bright minds on planet earth want to come here to invent things and stay here and let us reap the benefit. but what is he doing? he is stopping those immigrants from coming to our country. stupid. [laughter] sen. booker: i have a long list of stupid that if we as a country just used economics as our guide, we would be a one to

your nation but a more just nation as well. my last stupid -- hunger and poverty. how could the wealthiest nation on the planet -- now, matthew 25 , when i was hungry, you fed me. when did you do that, lord? if you are just fiscally prudent, i have reams of studies from even conservative think tanks that a hungry child in school cannot learn. and we know this. i can show you the evidence that the more children learn, the more we as a nation earn. we know we can cut child poverty in half. less people below the poverty line. did you know the more you

elevate, the more your overall gdp grows? i know we can cut poverty because for one year hunter biden, this was on the senate side -- under biden, this was on the senate side, the killer bees , we fought before biden's work oath out, please expand the child credit. it cut child poverty almost in half in our country. brain development improved. the financial benefit to america just doing that is so extraordinary because one genius -- it is equally distributed as many geniuses. you unlocked the genius of human potential, anything is possible. but i can measure economically that wealth and kids above the poverty line produce more in lifetime earnings than other kids if that is your metric.

so why are we doing so many stupid things in america that are hurting people every day, raising their anxiety, undermining their health and well-being? why? there is no fiscally prudent reason for it. but we are a moral nation. we were not founded because of capitalism. i am a capitalist. i believe that this is the best system. but capitalism has been corrupted. our moral compass in america has been corrupted by concentrations of wealth adam smith would become nauseous over. we have been corrupted because we have lost the vision of the simple understanding that we all do better when we all do better and we are all in this together. [applause] kelly: our last question. somebody wants to know, where do you see yourself in 2028?

[laughter] sen. booker: well, no matter what, i will be back in new hampshire i am sure. [applause] sen. booker: because every election cycle, this swing state is at the center of the hinges that will turn the direction of america. i know there is a lot of talk about 2028 now, but please new hampshire, if you are a new hampshireite, i was taught that when i came here, please get involved in your elections from the grassroots up. your legislature like so many legislatures around the country need to turn some people are not gerrymandering or trying to pass voucher schemes or do other things that hurt people. please for 2026 focus on your state elections and the house seats here are vital.

please send me a great senator from new hampshire, and your governor's race is vital. patriotism starts at home. and i am very aware of the top of the ticket in new jersey will be the senate seat, and that is me. i have something that is weird. every month, people in new hampshire give me five dollars. some of you our monthly contributors. any contributors here? yeah. i want to thank you for that. because about 85% of my contributions come from people who give $25 or less. i have this wonderful definition of faith. when you come to the end of all of the light you know, you will find solid gun underneath you or the universal to new people who teach you how to follow. i gave up corporate contributions and people called in stupid and suddenly people in new hampshire started sending me five dollars a month.

i will say this since this is the last question. i am very moved by that man. i begin my 25 hour speech and ended my 25 hour speech talking about john lewis. i began by trying to hold up to what he asked me to do, which is to cause good trouble. i ended it by telling folks about my last conversation with him. michael collins, his chief of staff, called me up and said to me, it is not going to be long, john lewis will pass away. i am here with him now. he can't speak but i wanted to give some people that were really close to him a chance to say goodbye. this is that civil rights generation. many of them retiring from the senate. many of them are leaving the house. many of them are being called

home. and so what do you do to the man who has literally changed your life from the time you were a kid? my parents have incredible stories. to the time you were in washington, the best road trip in my life was jumping in a car. john lewis and me driving from atlanta, georgia, to see another heroic man named jimmy carter at a sunday school. he puts the phone by his ear, and i don't have the words yet. i stumble and stammer. this is the last thing he will here on earth that i say -- hear on earth that i will say that this is the last thing he will hear on earth that i say. i calmed myself and took a breath and said, john, i know where you are going. you are going to be with god. you are going to be with my dad.

and i know you are going to be looking down on us. and i promise you that i, that we will make you proud. i think that promise is yet unfulfilled. i think we are in a crisis. i think there is so much pain right now. so much hurt and so much fear in america. and i believe in my heart that it is in times like this our salvation because you cannot have great courage without great fear. you cannot have great hope unless you steer unflinchingly at great despair. we are down on our knees like john lewis was beaten down time and time again, but that does not define as. what defines us is how many

times we stand back up and say you can get dogs on me, send batons at me. you can disregard and disrespect me, but i am still standing, still fighting. because you may have betrayed our nation with your hate, but i will redeem it with our love. that is what is going to make us better. [applause] kelly: thank you. [applause] sen. booker: thank you. thank you. >> the house is now in recess. several bills including reauthorizing the state and local cybersecurity grants for 10 years. also, a senate passed bill that provided an increase to v.a. disability compensation and other benefits to keep pace with inflation. the houseplants to hold a

procedural vote on a resolution disapproving of the pager of representing garcia on the timing of his decision to retire from congress given to a handpicked successor. tomorrow, the house is expected to vote on legislation to compel the justice department to release all of its files on jeffrey epstein. speaker mike johnson announced plans to schedule a floor vote after 218 members signed a discharge petition, enough to force the house to action on the bill. watch live coverage of the house on c-span, see the senate on c-span2, and all of our congressional coverage is available on c-span now and our website, c-span.org. >> democracy. it is not just an idea. it is a process shaped by leaders elected to the highest offices and entrusted to a select few regarding its basic principles. it is where debates unfold when decisions are made, and the